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Re: [TowerTalk] What relay do Ameritron and Array Solutions

To: <towertalk@contesting.com>, "Jim Lux" <jimlux@earthlink.net>
Subject: Re: [TowerTalk] What relay do Ameritron and Array Solutions
From: "jeremy-ca" <km1h@jeremy.mv.com>
Date: Sat, 19 May 2007 13:20:17 -0400
List-post: <mailto:towertalk@contesting.com>
The "classic" Dow Key 60 Series that has been around since 1952 is a coaxial 
line section. This was the one that most hams grew up with before the advent 
of xcvrs.
I still have the one I bought in 1955 to use with a Johnson Viking 1 and a 
Hammarlund HQ129X. These days it is used between a Johnson Valiant and 
Collins 75A4 when I get the urge to play on AM

Even by todays standards (touchy GaAs Fet preamps) the TX/RX isolation is 
excellent thru 500 mHz. I use a transfer style on my 2M homebrew 3CX1000A7 
amp. Another is used on my 400W 432 mHz amp.

I dont know how Dow is doing these days under the Dover Corp umbrella. I was 
in R&D with a millimeter wave company that Dover bought in 99 and it was a 
disaster that put them under in a few more years. I bailed out before the 
axe fell for an even better job.

Carl
KM1H



----- Original Message ----- 
From: "Jim Lux" <jimlux@earthlink.net>
To: "jeremy-ca" <km1h@jeremy.mv.com>; <towertalk@contesting.com>
Sent: Saturday, May 19, 2007 10:17 AM
Subject: Re: [TowerTalk] What relay do Ameritron and Array Solutions


> At 08:18 PM 5/15/2007, jeremy-ca wrote:
>
>
>>>The VNA might take the guesswork out of some of the measurements, but
>>>doesn't tell you much about how to change the design to make it
>>>"better".  And for using "non-RF" components in RF applications
>>>(which is what most amateur market relay boxes are.. they are NOT
>>>clever stripline designs like DowKey uses) there's an awful lot of
>>>craft and art to the design, probably moreso than straightforward RF
>>>circuit design.  (Unless someone's been out building HFSS models for 
>>>relays).
>>
>>
>>The VNA is simply a tool. As with any tool it requires that the user have 
>>an
>>understanding of its abilities as well as his own.
>>
>>The DowKey is not a stripline design, it is a coaxial line section; big 
>>difference.
>
> Not the one I have sitting on my desk.  It's a SP6T and it's got six 
> little striplines that are moved by solenoids.  I also have a microwave 
> transfer switch, and it's got 4 little striplines that move
>
> I suspect there's lots of different designs they use.
>
> 

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